By Christina Easter
Beginning with the class of 2025, Cleveland Metropolitan School District seniors will be automatically enrolled in Cuyahoga Community College to guarantee every student has equal access to higher education. CMSD and Tri-C entered this Direct Admission Partnership during the fall of last year to eliminate barriers students face when preparing to continue their education after high school.
Currently, there are 39 schools for high school aged students. In 2023, of the 75.4% of CMSD who graduated, 40% continued their education at a postsecondary two-year or four-year institution.
“For years, we have worked and held events with CMSD,” said Heidi Nicholas, associate vice president for enrollment and retention operations. “While this may seem like a split decision, we’ve been doing a lot of things for years, including having recruiters in CMSD schools.”
The Partnership ensures that CMSD students have a clear pathway to higher education and helps them stay on track to achieve their educational goals by –
- Removing traditional barriers to higher education, such as application fees and complex applications
- Simplifying the admission process through the efficient use of shared data to eliminate unnecessary steps
- Providing personalized resources, such as advising, wraparound services and financial aid workshops
- Empowering students and families by providing information about financial aid, enrollment steps and affordability
Students may have to submit supplemental information such as their major, updated contact information, and social security number. Some students will be contacted by a recruitment specialist to submit additional information such as official transcripts, selective service documentation and residency information.
“We decided on a few things we could make easier such as sending transcripts and bringing services into the high school,” Nicholas said. “Our objective was how could we make it easier for students to choose Tri-C.”
Some students may need to take the English placement, ALEKS math placement or the English as a second language assessment. Supplemental information such as a student’s major, updated contact information, social security number, and other information may be needed. Upon completion of the supplemental information, CMSD students will have full admission to Tri-C and their application will be active for one year.
Nicholas said, “Johnson is advocating at the state level to allow this for more colleges. This is something we can see expanding to give students more options.”
For more information on the CMSD / Tri-C Direct Admission Partnership visit https://www.tri-c.edu/get-started/cleveland-metropolitan-school-district-seniors.html or email Heidi Nicholas at heidi.nicholas@tri-c.edu.
